I have received questions on this blog and from my Marines on how to train for the CFT.  While most of my advice has been just work on overall strength and endurance I have not gotten very specific in my advice to the readers of Jarhead Online.  Well I am going to change that now as I tell you what I am doing as a 13 year SSgt to prepare myself and my Marines for the upcoming CFT.

I have been working on my anaerobic activity my burst speed so to speak.  As far as the running thing I have been doing sprints from between 100m to 1/4 mile (1 lap on most tracks).  I start with a 1/4 mile balls out sprint on the track.  I then take a moment an catch my breath I then do a series of shorter sprints up to about 6-8 total.  This is going to help me with the 1/2 mile boots and utes run that starts the CFT.

As far as preparing for the ammo can lift and the movement under fire or whatever it is called course I have been doing the kettlebell workout at the gym.  For those of you unfamiliar with kettlebells let me tell you what they are.  They are a piece of iron that looks like an old school cast iron with a handle that come in a variety of sizes from 5lbs to 100lbs (at my gym anyway).  I have seen kettlebells at all the gyms that I have visited on MCB Camp Pendleton and there is also a poster with a suggested workout on it.

I use the poster with suggested exercises that is at the gym that I go to.  I do 10 of the 12 exercises on the poster (I don’t do the snatch and squat because I have a bum shoulder and I don’t do the last because I can’t figure it out).  The exercises include around the world, figure 8’s, cleans, Snatch, lunges and some variations on those exercises.  I usually do 10 repetitions per exercise (on each side if that is the case) and use a bell between 25 and 30 Lbs (it is more than you think).  I go through the exercises two times each and at the end I am completely spent.  The entire workout takes less than 30 minutes.  The workout I get is far better than a run or even from a regular go to the gym and throw steel around bodybuilding type workout.  For the more advanced kettlebeller here are some more advanced exercises.

Why Kettlebells you ask?

  • Accelerates the development of all-purpose strength—to easily handle the toughest and most unexpected demands
  • Boosts your physical resilience
  • Builds your staying power (endurance)
  • Ensures the correct blend of strength with flexibility—because strength that fails to reach is impotent
  • Hacks your fat off—without the dishonor of dieting and aerobics
  • Builds functional strength
  • Easy and portable

Everyone that I have introduced to the kettlebell workout on the poster at the gym has been beat down by the workout just as I was the first time I did it.  Everyone will benefit from the hardcore gym rat that lifts every day all the way to the guy who stays away from the gym as they think lifting is a waste of time.  I have used it for those Marines that are on weight control to shred the fat from their bodies to the skinny weak guy to build strength.  While I don’t think that any one workout is the answer to a person’s physical needs I do believe that kettlebells will compliment everyone’s workout making them better all around.  I believe that if you workout with kettlebells you will do just fine on the CFT

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